CHAPTER 1

We ran to the exit, emerging for air. I could see the Strigoi gathered at the entrance, their eyes gleaming with anticipation. They completely filled the opening, and more was coming. They were getting ready to leap forward and kill every guardian, the moment the sun would set. Dimitri coming up behind me, met my eyes and we exchanged relieved glances, and then we were on the move again.

"Retrieve!" My mother hissed. "We've got 15 minutes to get back." The guardians took of running, which was hard with so many injured. My feet stumped hard on the ground as I ran besides Dimitri, heavily breathing. Every once in a while our eyes would meet and burning desire would fill our gaze, and as we ran towards safety, our hands would touch for a tiny fraction of the second, and in that touch I would disappear. The entire time I felt nauseous, presumably because Strigoi were near, and if they were, they never caught up to us, and it's possible I was simply sick from everything that had happened in the caves. But having Dimitri close, the nausea was like noice in the background, nothing that I couldn't easily suppress.

Once back behind the wards, the other novices and I were forgotten. Dimitri and I exchanged brief glances, before he disappeared into the crowd of guardians. The adults had a lot of things to concern themselves with. We had rescued twelve people, but five guardians had been lost. Those weren't bad numbers considering how many Strigoi we faced.

I felt dizzy and exhausted from all the running and fighting and my blood pulsed strongly through my veins, as I tried to catch my breath.

Dr. Olendzki checked me, decided that I didn't have a concussion, and then sent me on my way to bandage my own scrapes. Walking all alone through the chaos with the bandages in my hand, I decided I needed some peace and quiet. Pushing my way through the thick crowd, I finally got outside. I've only had one place in thoughts, that could be described as a soothing. The cabin. Our cabin.

I turned the doorknob and opened the door slowly, my heart started to thud fast and uneven, as I took steps inside. The memories of Dimitri and I being here, touching, kissing and.. My smile widened. My eyes settled on the bed, that wasn't made yet from the last time we'd been here. My smile grew wider. Walking towards the bed, I swept my hand across the cotton sheets, feeling them, remembering how they felt against my naked skin earlier. I suddenly felt warm all over and could feel a blush creeping over my cheeks.

"Let me get that for you" He said, as he casually walked over to me. Dimitris voice behind me made me jump, and startled, I dropped the bandages on the floor. "Oh Jesus, you scared the hell out of me." I choked out, kneeling down and picking them up again, embarrassed by being caught daydreaming. This time I blushed even more, it felt like someone had set my face on fire. Dimitri knelt down beside me, and took the bandages from my hand. "Sit" he ordered. I sat down on the bed, brushing my hair away from my face, tucking it behind my ear. I watched him with fondness, as he rolled out the bandages. He was so beautiful, even when he was bruised and hurt. His hair was lose and damp, curling by the tips - he obviously had taken a shower not to long ago - and framed his face perfectly. Oh god, I wanted to kiss him so badly, I wanted our fingers to entwine together and -

"Take off your shirt" he said, making me snap out of my thoughts. "W...What?" I stuttered, not sure of what he'd asked was real or just my imagination playing with me. He looked me in the eyes and waved the bandages infront of my face. "I have to see if your arm is hurt and I see some scratches on your back."

"Oh."

My hands found their way to the bottom of my shirt, pulling it up and over my head. I was wearing a red bra, with laced straps, underneath, which complemented my skin beautifully, and was sweet and seductive at the same time. While pulling it over my head, I felt soreness overwhelm me.

"Auch" I groaned, as I threw my shirt in the floor. Concern washed over Dimitri's eyes. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

"No, just.. soar, I think" I said. "Nothing out of the usual" I gave him my biggest smile, trying to wash the concern off his face. I didn't fool anybody. And certainly not Dimitri. But I saw a glint of amusement in his eyes, before it was replaced by something else. Watching him, I saw him notice my body. Like, really notice! His eyes fell on the laces of my bra, glancing further down. Dimitri wasn't a man of many words, and just like I'd never would be able to fool him, he would never be able to fool me. I knew I looked good in a bra, and even Dimitri couldn't deny that. His eyes flickered back to meet mine, and he held my gaze for a second too long for it to be appropriate. My heart started to thud unevenly again and feeling awkward, I tried to think of something to say. "So..What are you doing here?" I breathed heavily. If he continued to have this effect on me, I would soon be dealing with heart problems. His lip twiched and then he brought his attention back to the bandages. "I followed you"

"You followed me?" I raised my eyebrows in sarcastic gesture. "As in you've been stalking me or saw me and followed?"

He sighed. "The second one, Rose." He got up and got the first-aid kit, and then came back and knelt infront of me again."Give me your arm." I watched as he pulled out antiseptic wipes. I hesitated, smelling the benzalkonium chloride. "Rose.." Dimitri said impatiently. I groaned and then stuck out my arm, turning my head away.

"Are you kidding? You set off fighting over a dozen Strigoi -" his hand locked around my wrist, his warm touch sending shivers down my spine. "But antiseptic wipes you can't handle?" He gave me that smile I really loved and would die for anyday. He brushed the wipes gently across the small scrapes. I flinched. It stung like hell. "I'm glad that I amuse you" I said, gridding my teeth in pain. He chuckled, throwed away the used wipes and unpacked a set of new ones.

"Turn around"

I pouted my lips in a please-don't-do-this-to-me way. Dimitri merely glared. I sighed in defeat. "Fine"

Turning around, I caught the scent of his cologne. It was intoxicating and my skin tingled with delight. I closed my eyes and inhaled once more. Wonderful.

I wrapped my hands around my hair, bringing it to my side, revealing my bare back. Getting ready for another swipe of pain, I felt.. Nothing. My curiosity had me almost crumbling in defeat and I was about to turn my head to see what was taking so long, when I felt his hot breath between my shoulderblades. His lips gently pressed down to my skin and I let a moan slip past mine. Where his lips had touched, my skin would burn. My body would ache for more. He kept kissing until he was near my neck, and that's where my selfcontrol went down the drain. Swiftly I turned around and cupped his face in my hands, bringing mine lips to his. He leaned over and was on top of me, all of his weight pressed down against my body, trapping me between the cotton sheets and his bodyheat. His fingertips slid down my thigh as he yanked my leg up and I wrapped it around his waist. He kissed me with burning intensity and as seconds passed, the kiss only grew stronger. I was running out of oxygen but breaking the kiss wasn't an option. I needed his kisses more than air. I jerked his shirt off and my fingernails dug into his skin. He let out a growl and tore off my bra. More clothes kept coming off, scattered around the room. He pinned down my hands and I experienced sex for the second time, with the love of my life.

I couldn't describe sex with Dimitri. This bliss came over us, when our bodies entwined together. We were one. A unit. We were inseparable. Something that we'd been trying to hide for so long from each other, bursted out. Not bothering to restrain our love anymore, not having the power to restrain ourselves anymore, we just let go and enjoyed each other. Truly we were soulmates.

He kissed my forehead and ran his fingers through my hair. There was no need for words, we knew exactly how we both felt. I rested my head on Dimitri's chest, taking comfort in his warmth. "I love you, Roza" he gently breathed. I smiled. "And I love you"

"I have to go soon." he sighed.

"I know. I wish.." I cut myself off.

"You wish what?"

"I wish we could stay like this forever." I burried my face in his chest. His finger slid down my cheekbone, lifting up my chin. He looked me levely in the eyes. "I wish it too, Roza" And then he pressed his lips down to mine, with an eagerness to be reckoned with. He finally broke the passionate kiss, and I gasped for air. "You're killing me" I groaned. Dimitri let out a slight laugh, that made my body warm. It was the kind of laugh I lived for. The kind of laugh that lightened up his whole face. We laid in silence again, enjoying our time together while we had it. Soon we would be out there, doing our duty, being away from each other.

He sighed again and kissed my forehead once more, before he got up. Getting dressed took a while, we always had to stop and kiss. He kissed me fiercely for the last time before we broke apart, and his hand tangled in my hair playfully. Then he released me and looked me deeply in the eyes. He didn't say anything, he just looked at me, memorizing my features. I cupped his chin in my hand and kissed him tenderly. "I love you"